Heating device



Nov. 8, 1932. R. P. CLARKSON HEATING DEVICE Filed Deo. l1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheel Nov. 8, 1932. R. P. CLARKSON HEATING DEVICE Filed Deo. l1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NI/ENTOR Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH P. CLARKSON, 0F NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO J. H. MCCORMICK & C0., OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA,` A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA HEATING DEVICE Application filed December 11, 1931.

My invention relates to heating devices and moie especially to radiators of the extended surface type with interchangeable and replaceable straight fin tubes of rigid construction somewhat shorter than the distance between the headers.

An object of my invention is to provide a substantial reliable extended surface heater accurately made and production assembled with replaceable and interchangeable parts.

A further obj ect of my invention is to p rovide a fin type radiator suitable for high or low steam pressures, vacuum, hot or cold water. with provision for expansion and contraction with temperature changes and with a minimum probability of failure by opening joints or otherwise leaking in servicez Still another object is to provide a satisfactory and reliable means of uniting heater headers and tubes of dissimilar metals or of a metal which cannot be satisfactorily and cheaply welded, brazed, or commercially soldered.

Other objects are to provide a light weight, compact, non-ferrous, easily repaired, reliable and eflicient extended surface heater suitable for steam, water, and vapor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view7 as will be apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and iii the details of construction described herein and particularly pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of my invention within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend no limitations other than those of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a conventional perspective view of a complete heater embodying my invention; c

Fig. 2 is a face sectional view of a portion of the heater of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa partial view in section at right angles to Fig. 2 showing the fastening means for spacer plates and for header covers.

Serial No. 580,263.

Fig. 4 is a top view, partly in section, looking down on the bottom portion of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5, 6, 7', and 8 are detail views showing the progressive steps in the forming and assembly of interchangeable tubes;

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating supply and return connections to the heater of Fig. 1;

Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 and 17 are alternative forms of tube connections to the headers.

Fig. 18 is a conventional view of an interchangeable tube with connecting nuts ready for assembly.

Similar reference characters relate to similar parts throughout the several views.

A preferred form of heater unit embodying my invention comprises two headers 1 and 2 with spacing and enclosing side channels 3, 3, connected to the bottom header (Fig. 1) as by bolts 4, 4, passing through openings in channels 3, 3, and openings in upturned portions 5, 5, of the header box 2. Channels 3, 3, are similarly aixed to the upper header box 1 (Fig. 1) by bolts 6, 6, which pass through slotted openings 7, 7 in chan` nels 3, 3, thus permitting expansion and contraction in length of iin tubes 10, 10. This construction permits header 1 to float at the ends of tubes 10, 10, and move away from or towards header 2 as tubes 10 expand or contract.

Each header is provided with one or more openings 8, 8, to permit pipe connection.

In the heater unit shown, the tubes (Fig. 4) are staggered, preferably on 60 degree centers, giving rise to a short row of tubes and a space between the rows of tubes 10, 10 and side channels 3, 3, through which the Huid to be heated may pass with little heating effect. To block this passage of fluid I prefer to provide angles 9 ailixed to side channels 3, 3, to actas baflles.

Preferably, also, the headers 1, 2, may be cast, or otherwise formed, with removable header cover plates 11, 11, (Fig. 3) which may be affixed to the header boxes as by cap screws 12, 12, suitable gaskets 13 preferably being used between the header boxes 1, 2, and cover plates 11, 11.

From each header box 1, 2, may project a plurality of hollow screws 14, 14, preferably screwed fast into and through one wall of the header box, a gasket 15, preferably copper, being held between the head of each screw 14 and a spot faced portion 22, of the header box wall. On the projecting end of each screw `14 a seat 16 is formed at about a 45 degree angle. A nut 17 has an internal thread adapted to takeon the thread of screw' 14 and an internal seat 18 (Fig. 7) which coacts with and matches seat 16 of screw member 14, as nut 17 is turnedvon screw 14. For convenience of turning, screw member 14may have a slot 19 across its head portion and nut 17 may have spaced holes 20 which are for gripping with a Spanner wrench. It will be noticed that screws 14 extend through threaded openings 21 in the y.opposing walls of the top and bottomY headers. Adjacent these openings 21'preferably on the inside face of the header wall is a nished surface 22 preferably formed by spot facing. Between this spot face and the head of screw member 14 is the copper gasket 15, these gaskets being .of uniform thickness. Likewise, the spot faced surfaces 22 are each a fixedl distance from the centers of the holes ,drilled for Vbolts 4, and`6. Screw members 14 are of uniform length from under the head to thev seats 16, 16. Preferably nut 17 is slightly relieved between the thread and the seat 1,8 and 'screw member 14 may have a slightly relieved end portion adjacent the tube seat 16.

With the Vforegoing care being taken, it is apparent lthat with headers 1 and 2 spaced apart by channels 3, 3, and screws 14, 14,

turned down on copper gaskets 15, 15, lying on spot faces 22, 22, the seats 16 ofopposing screw members 14 are a uniform distance apart. j

Extended between seats 16, 16, of opposing yscrew members 14 lare straight, rigid, t'ub'es 10,A 10, of extended surface construction, preferably of integral iin type, well known in the art, in whichthe fins 10a are formed 'up from the surface of the tube 10 and are an integral part thereof. A nonferrous fin tubeis preferred and preferably aluminum of extremely thin wall, unsuitable for soldering, brazing or welding to the nonferrous screws 14 and nuts 17 which are prefer'ablyof brass.

' As is well known in the art, thinwall aluminum tubing is both stiff andbrittle, unless annealed, and will crack when expanded. The apparent hardening is believed to be caused by processes such as rollingV and drawing and in the case of` integral n tubing,

fthel brittleness andi stiffness lis pronounced. In order to form seats on each end of the fintubes 10, 10, 1 prefer first to cut thetubes 'to a xed length 5) Vand then to strip the fins 10a back a required distance 'at each end usually byturning tools (Fig. 6). I prefer then to anneal the very tip of each end a distance, say g, by plunging toy a stop in a pot of molten lead. r1`his provides a soft tip portion backed by a rigid portion of the tube. Then when nut 17 is slipped'o'ver the end of the tube (Fig. 7) and held at a fixed distance from said end, the soft annealed portion at the tip of the tube may be spun or rolled against the internal seat 18eof nut 17 and form a flared end portion 23 which fits the seat 18 of nut 17 and may be fixedly clamped ybetween said seat 18 and the coacting seat 16o'f screw member 14.

Preferably, to assemble, one end of the tube 10 is fixedly clamped between seat 18 of nut 17 and seat 16 of lscrew 14 in one header, the opposing screw 14 in the other header being withdrawn from its projecting position (Fig. 2). After one end is fastened, the opposing screw 14 may be turned down in position, nut 17 being turned on to screw 14 until screw 14 reaches the fixed position provided by the finished surface 22 'and gasket and nut 17 screws fast on screw 14 with the seats of the two coacting members clamping the annealed fiared tip 23 of the tube between them. Because of the uniformity of tube length and of header screw projection from fixed finished surfaces, all parts '55 of each heater are interchangeable and may be replaced byother production parts. Also, because of uniformity, the entire assembly is without strain and no tube is under comm Therefore, expans1on"00 pression or tension. and contraction under heat and cold is uniform throughout the assembly and tendency to distort of twist is entirely absent.

From the foregoing it is apparent that tubes 10 are assembled (Fig. 18) with nuts Tio# 17, 17, in place slidably positioned at each end of the tube adjacent the flared ends 23, 23. This structure form a replacement tube assemblyp M Various modifications are illustrated in "who Figs. 12 to 17 including the use of a single divided header 2a and a bent n tube 10 afhxed to header 2a as kdescribed (Fig. 12) Fig. 13 indicates ya type of screw 14a with a,-Y

lock nut 24 acting, as the head of the screw, 15

permitting adjustment of projection from the header wall 25. Fig. 14 represents a similar construction with the lock nut head 24, the gasket 15a 'and spot face 22al on theouter surface of header wall V25. i2

In the construction of Fig. 15 a screw 141) has an intermediately positioned head 26 screwing against the outer spot face surface 2222 of header' wall 25, necessitating bend-- ing or fleXingof the lfin tube 10 to posi-i 125 tion. Figs. 16 and 17 are adjustable'modications using a plain opening 27 in header wall 25 without threads, gaskets 150 being used oneither side of wall 25 either with any1- intermediate head 26?) and internal lock nut 13 lli 24a (Fig. 16) or two lock nuts 245, 240 internally and externally, (Fig. 17 spot faces 22.7), 220, being provided.

Figs. 9, and 11 illustrate various methods of connections, those of Figs. 9 and 10 where a cross partition 28 is inserted in a header box. In Fig. 9 with a partition in the top header steam, vapor, or hot water may be supplied to the top header and a return taken from the open bottom header. In Fig. 10, with a partition in the bottom header, steam may be supplied to one side of the heador and return taken from the other, the top header actin(r merely to connect the tubes. The normal universal connection is illustrated in Fig. 11 with a supply to the upper header and a return from the lower header.

I am aware that replaceable and removable tube type radiators have been made with solderless connections, but what I claim is:

1. In a heater device, a header member provided with a threaded opening in the wall thereof, a finished surface adjacent said opening, a hollow screw member engaging said threaded opening and extending through said wall, a head on said screw member Vadjacent said finished surface and a gasket operatively held between said screw head and said finished surface whereby to prevent leakage through said threaded portions, a seat formed on one end of said hollow screw member, astraight thin-walled extended surface heater tube comprising a soft annealed iared end portion adapted and arranged to engage said seat, and a nut member adapted and arranged to engage said hollow screw member and provided with an internal seat whereby to clamp said flared end portion of said tube against the seat of said hollow screw member, substantially as described.

2. A heater device comprising two headers, threaded openings in opposing walls of said headers, means to space said headers apart, a plurality of straight, axially parallel, thinwalled extended surface heater tubes of a uniform length less than the distance between said headers whereby to place said tubes between said headers without changing the spacing of said headers, and means operatively to connect said tubes to said headers whereby to permit the flow of fluid from one header to another, said last named means comprising hollow screw members projecting through said threaded openings in opposing i walls of said headers and nut members engaging said tubes adapted and arranged to coact with said hollow screw members, and means to permit expansion and contraction of said tubes.

3. In a heater device, a header member, spacing members aiiixed thereto, a second header member adj ustably positioned by said spacing members, threaded openings in said header members, connecting means comprising hollow screws projecting through said 4. In a heater device, two header members provided with finished surfaces, means to space said surfaces a fixed distance apart, threaded openings adjacent said surfaces, hollow screw members of uniform length projecting through and engaging said threaded openings, means operatively to connect screw members projecting through the threaded openings of one header member with screw members projecting through the threaded openings of the other header member, and gaskets of uniform thickness between said surfaces and the heads of said screw members.

5. A heater device comprising a header member, spacing members connected therewith, a second header member adj ustably positioned by said spacing members, a plurality of axially parallel thin-walled extended surface heater tubes of uniform length, means removably to connect said tubes to said headers, and means to permit expansion and contraction of said tubes.

Signed at Williamsport in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania this 10th day of December, A. D. 1931.

RALPH P. GLARKSON. 

